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The Vegas trip & gambling guide

Everything I'd tell a friend before their first (or fifteenth) Vegas trip: when to go, where to stay, what it really costs, how comps work, how to talk to a host, and how to play slots and tables without getting taken.

Table game cheat sheets + blackjack strategy chart →

When to go

Room prices swing more by date than by hotel. The same room can cost three or four times more on the wrong weekend.

Cheapest nights: Sunday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday rates jump, and many hotels want a 2-night minimum on weekends.
Check the calendar first: Big conventions (CES in January is the biggest), fight nights, F1 weekend in November, New Year's Eve and major concerts send rates through the roof. Search the hotel for your exact dates before you commit to the flights.
Weather: Summer days regularly pass 100°F, which is fine if you live by the pool and casino. Spring and fall are the sweet spot for walking the Strip.
How long: Three nights is the sweet spot for a first trip. Four or more and the casino tends to win.

Where to stay

Pick the area first, then the hotel. Walking between "neighbor" casinos takes longer than it looks.

Center Strip: Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Cosmopolitan, Aria, Paris, Flamingo, The LINQ. Easiest walking, most to do, highest prices. Best for a first trip.
North Strip: Venetian/Palazzo, Wynn/Encore, Resorts World, Fontainebleau. Big, newer and more upscale; you'll take more Ubers.
South Strip: MGM Grand, New York-New York, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur. Good value and closest to the airport; farther from the middle of the action.
Downtown (Fremont Street): Circa, Golden Nugget, The D. Cheaper rooms, lower table minimums, a looser party vibe. Great for a night out even if you stay on the Strip.
Players club tip: If you'll gamble, stay with the company you'll play with most (MGM or Caesars own most of the Strip). Your play then counts toward room offers for the next trip.

What it really costs

The price you see on the booking site is not the price you pay.

Resort fees: Nearly every Strip hotel adds a mandatory nightly resort fee, currently about $57 to $62 a night at the big Strip resorts. A "$99 room" is really about $160 before tax. Current fees by hotel.
Room tax: 13.38% on the Strip and 13% downtown, charged on the room rate (and the resort fee).
Comped rooms: A "free" room from a casino offer usually still carries the resort fee. Ask your host if it can be waived; at higher tiers it often is.
Parking: Most Strip resorts charge for self-parking, with free parking as a perk at higher players club tiers.
Budget it in four buckets: Room (rate + resort fee + tax), food and drinks, shows and fun, and a separate gambling bankroll you're fully prepared to lose.

Getting around

From the airport: Harry Reid International (LAS) is about 10 to 15 minutes from the Strip. Rideshare pickup is in the parking garages, so follow the "Ride Share" signs. Taxis line up outside baggage claim.
Monorail: Runs behind the east side of the Strip from MGM Grand to Sahara, with stops at Horseshoe/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars, Harrah's/LINQ, the Convention Center and Westgate. Single rides are about $5.50 online and multi-day passes save money. Stops and fares.
Free trams: Short free trams connect Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur, and Aria, Bellagio and Park MGM.
Walking: Wear real shoes. Two casinos that look next door can be a 20-minute walk through crowds and casino floors.

How comps actually work

Comps are a rebate on what the casino expects you to lose, not a reward for winning.

Sign up before you play: Get the players card first and put it in every machine or hand it to every dealer. Play without a card counts for nothing. The big Strip programs are MGM Rewards and Caesars Rewards; the Venetian's is Grazie.
The formula: Casinos rate you on theoretical loss: average bet × bets per hour × hours played × house edge. Win or lose, the same play earns the same rating.
Why slots earn more: A $2 slot spun 600 times an hour at a 5% edge "costs" about $60 an hour in theory. A $25 blackjack hand played 70 times an hour at 0.5% is about $9. That's why slot players get more offers than their bet size suggests.
What you get back: Casinos typically return roughly 20 to 40% of your theoretical loss as free play, food credits, rooms and offers. How the math works.
Stick to one company: Spreading play across five casinos leaves you at the bottom tier everywhere. Concentrate it with one company per trip.
Status matches: Some programs will match a tier you hold elsewhere, including hotel and cruise programs. Ask at the players club desk, and check current terms, since they change often.
The trap: Never play longer or bigger just to earn a comp. A free $40 dinner that cost you an extra $300 at the machine isn't free.

Talking to a casino host

Hosts are paid to keep players coming back. You don't need to be a whale to have one, just steady, rated play.

Play rated first
Get a real session or two on your card before you ask, so there's play on record to look at.
Ask at the players club desk
"Do I qualify for a host, or can someone look at my play?" They'll point you to one or tell you what level you need.
Give them the facts
How often you visit, what you play, your typical bet and how long you play. Be honest; they can see your rating anyway.
Ask about the next trip
"What can you do for me next time I'm in?" Rooms, waived resort fees, dinners, show tickets and free play are all on the table, depending on your play.
Keep in touch
Save their number and text before you book your next trip. A host can often beat the offers in your inbox.

Playing slots smarter

Slots are random. Nothing below changes that, but it changes how long your money lasts.

Denomination matters: Higher-denomination machines generally pay back a bigger share than pennies. A "penny" slot at $2.50 a spin is not a cheap game.
Volatility: High-volatility games (the big bonus, Spooky Link and Dragon Link style) can eat a bankroll fast between hits. Lower-volatility games stretch a session. Pick based on your budget, not the flashiest screen.
Know the progressive rules: Some games need a minimum or max bet to qualify for the top jackpot. Read the help screen before you play.
Bet per hour, not per spin: $1 a spin at 600 spins an hour is $600 an hour cycling through the machine. Slow down, take breaks, and set a time limit as well as a money limit.
Cash out with tickets: Machines print TITO tickets you can play elsewhere or cash at a kiosk. Never leave a ticket in a machine.
Rituals: Three spins plus one. Rubbing the screen. Sarah calling it. None of it works. I do it anyway.

Table games without getting taken

The short version. Full how-to-play sheets for every game, plus a blackjack strategy chart: table game cheat sheets.

Blackjack: 3:2 only: Look for "Blackjack pays 3 to 2" on the felt. 6:5 tables pay less on every blackjack and cost you a lot more over a session. Learn basic strategy; a free strategy card is allowed at the table.
Craps: Pass line plus odds is one of the best bets in the casino. The center-of-the-table proposition bets are among the worst.
Roulette: Single-zero tables have a much lower edge than double-zero. They're less common and often have higher minimums.
Minimums: Strip minimums climb on weekend nights. Downtown and weekday mornings are where you'll find lower minimums.

Drinks and tipping

Free drinks: Drinks are often free while you're actively gambling, but some casinos now track play and require a minimum bet. Tip the server $1 to $2 a drink, every time, and they'll come back.
Dealers: Tip occasionally, or place a small bet for the dealer, especially on a good run.
Hand-pay attendants: On a big hand-paid jackpot, a tip of a few percent is customary but not required.

Big wins and taxes

Hand pays: Starting in 2026, a single slot win of $2,000 or more triggers a hand pay and an IRS Form W-2G (it was $1,200 for decades). IRS change.
Bring ID: You'll need a photo ID and your Social Security number to get paid.
All winnings are taxable: Even wins below the form threshold count as income. Keep your win/loss statement from the players club; your accountant will want it.

Cruise ship casinos

Closed in port: The casino closes while the ship is docked and opens back up at sea. Plan sessions around sea days.
Club Royale: Royal Caribbean's casino program. Points earn tiers starting at Prime, and the tiers come with perks like free casino drinks and an annual free cruise. Rules for those free cruises have been changing, so check current terms.
Charges: Play usually goes on your SeaPass account, often with a convenience fee. Decide your budget before you board, because it's easy to lose track.
Smoke: Many ships split smoking and non-smoking areas. On Legend of the Seas, the lower casino floor was non-smoking on our sailing.
Filming: Many casinos, at sea and in Vegas, allow filming slots but not live table games. Ask before you hit record.

My money rules

Set the bankroll first: Decide what you can lose for the whole trip, split it by day, and treat it as the cost of the fun.
Never chase: When today's money is gone, you're done for today. Don't pull tomorrow's.
Set a floor when you're up: Pick a number you'll walk away with and stick to it.
Leave the cards at home: Skip casino ATMs and credit card cash advances. The fees are brutal and it's the fastest way to blow past your limit.
If it stops being fun: Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER. It's free and confidential.

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